Nevada Test Site

The Nevada Test Site is
located northwest of Las Vegas. It was established in 1950, during
the Cold War, as the Nevada Proving Grounds. It is a large site,
1,350 square miles, and is surrounded on three sides by the Nellis Air
Force Range. Nuclear testing began in 1952,
but a Limited Test Ban Treaty in 1963 ended above ground testing at the
Site. Before the ban more than 1,100 nuclear tests were conducted
at the Nevada Test Site.

The base camp for the site
is located at Mercury, which is like a small town. It contains housing,
offices, laboratories, warehouses, a hospital, post office, fire station,
and training facilities.

The Nevada Test Site is sometimes
embroiled in controversy. It is important to the general economy
of southern Nevada, but many citizens don't want the continued presence
of nuclear facilities in the state.